BANGLADESH TOUR OF SRI LANKA, 2025
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis enroute to their 78-run stand in just 4.3 overs © Getty
Kusal Mendis (73) and Pathum Nissanka (42) helped script Sri Lanka’s highest PowerPlay score in T20Is as the hosts thrashed Bangladesh by seven wickets in Pallekele on Thursday (July 10). Set a target of 155, the Sri Lankan opening pair made short work of the chase as they combined for a breathtaking stand of 78 in just 4.3 overs before being separated.
Nissanka got the chase going with a hat-trick of boundaries upfront off Mohammad Saifuddin in a 14-run opening over. Mendis, on the other hand, laid into Taskin Ahmed who leaked 16 off his first – two boundaries and a six included. Bangladesh made a quick bowling change but got no respite as Nissanka hammered Tanzim Hasan Sakib for 6, 4, 4 to make it another 16-run over. Mendis continued the attack on Taskin with two more sixes, and a boundary sandwiched between them, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz became the third bowler in the row to come in the firing line with Nissanka in no mood to relent.
After being thumped for two sixes in the first-three balls, the Bangladesh all-rounder did get instant revenge when he had Nissanka caught at mid-on on 42 that came in just 16 deliveries. Nissanka’s wicket did slow Sri Lanka down and the last PowerPlay over yielded only five runs for the hosts, but their score of 83/1 was overall their best score ever in the format from the first-six.
While Mendis slowed down from 35 off 12 balls at one point to reach his half-century in only 31 deliveries, his namesake, Kusal Perera, gave him company and got the occasional boundary coming to keep up with the asking rate. The introduction of spin from both ends applied the breaks on Sri Lanka’s free scoring and Perera fell after top-edging a wrong ‘un from Rishad Hossain to square leg.
Sri Lanka, however, were comfortably placed in the chase with the asking rate well below six and Mendis carried on to make 73 off 51 before departing when the team was only eight runs away from the win. Charith Asalanka sealed it in style, with a six hammered over long-on, to polish off the target comfortably with an over to spare even after the middle-overs slowdown.
Put in to bat first, the Bangladesh openers played contrasting hands. Despite Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s slow start, Parvez Hossain Emon ensured Bangladesh picked 54 for 1 off the PowerPlay at 9 an over. However, just as the new pair started to settle in, Sri Lanka dealt two crucial blows. Skipper Litton Das (6 off 11) was trapped LBW by Jefferey Vandersay and Maheeh Theekshana removed the well-set Emon in quick succession as the visitors slipped to 67 for 3 in the middle of the ninth over.
Scoring proved difficult for Bangladesh in the middle overs with Dasun Shanaka proving to be very miserly for Sri Lanka. Mohammad Naim (32* off 29) then dropped anchor, forging a crucial 46-run stand with Mehidy (29 off 23) to push Bangladesh in the vicinity of a 150-score. Shamim Hossain’s vital cameo of 14* off 5, inclusive of two sixes, played an equally vital hand in setting Sri Lanka a competitive target of 155.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 154/5 in 20 overs (Parvez Hossain Emon 38, Mohammad Naim 32*; Maheesh Theekshana 2-37) lost to Sri Lanka 159/3 in 19 overs (Kusal Mendis 73, Pathum Nissanka 42; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1-24, Rishad Hossain 1-24) by 7 wickets
© Cricbuzz
